Mary Jane Foster

Mary Jane Foster (Haak) passed away at home surrounded by family on January 16, 2026 at the age of 90.

Mary Jane was born in North Tonawanda on February 5, 1935. She was raised there with her siblings Robert Haak, Shirley (Haak) Hughes, Joan (Haak) Lewis, Paul Haak, and Carol Haak. Mary Jane married the love of her life, Calvin Foster on June 8, 1957. They began raising a family together. Mary Jane supported Cal as he pursued higher education and she stayed home to raise their growing family. Later she managed their business, keeping all the pieces and paperwork in place as Cal traveled and worked outside the home. The family moved from New York to Pennsylvania, and then settled in Walpole, MA where they lived for 48 years before moving to Rushville, NY in 2022 to be closer to family. 

Mary Jane was predeceased by her husband of 65 years, Calvin Foster in 2023. She is survived by her children Brian (Adrienne) Foster, Cheryl (Dennis) Hayes, Susan (Eric) Franklin, and Eric (Tami) Foster, as well as her 7 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren (with another on the way).

She lived a selfless life of service, even from an early age, working outside the home as a teenager to provide for her family and younger sister. Mary Jane’s strong faith was a backbone for the family. She served the church throughout her life as Sunday school superintendent  and leader of the altar guild for many years. Mary Jane was a devoted mother and grandmother. She was the kind of mother and grandmother that all the neighborhood kids were envious of. She cared deeply for her family, making time to travel and spend time with them all from one end of the country to the other. As such, she honed her backseat driving skills to perfection, often to Cal’s chagrin. 

Mary Jane was an avid New England sports fan. She was an even bigger fan of her children and grandchildren and spent many hours cheering them all on from the sidelines and in all of their endeavors. Her faithfulness was evident in how she lived her life every day. Her gentleness and kindness left a mark on anyone she met. Even as her physical body failed and her mind weakened, her kindness remained. She was an example to her children and grandchildren to treat all with kindness and respect.  She will be greatly missed. 

A funeral service will be held at St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Penn Yan, NY on Friday January 30, 2026 at 11 am. A private interment for the family will take place at Gorham Cemetery on Saturday. 

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Lutheran Disaster Relief, PO Box 17061, Baltimore, MD 21297-1061.

Please visit www.perkinsamesfuneralhome.com to send a message of condolence to Mary Jane’s Family.